Improvement in ticket printing and registering apparatus



3 Sheets--Sheet n. n. lnaehnsuu. A Ticket-'Printing and RegisteringApparatus. N0. \46,535. Patentedlan.20,874.

' WITNESSg r INVENTQR- A JIT@ /ff/WM 4n.11. INGERSOLL. Ticket-Printingand Registering Ap ratus.` |`19.115,553-)- Patent n.20\,1l874".`

` WITNES'ISEL mvmmm` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- ROBERT D. INGERSOLL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

`IMPROVEMENT IN TICKET PRINTING AND REGISTERING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,535, dated January20, 1874 application filed March 31, 1873.

Toalla/hom it may concerny Be it known that I, ROBERT D. INGERsoLL, ofChicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and usesame" Fifr. 3 a to or lan view- Fioxi. a 7 b 9 7 b lplan view of the mechanism arranged below the table; Fig. 5, an endview, certain parts being shown in section; and Fig. 6, a side elevationof the feeding mechanism of the register-blank enlarged.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

Railway companies, for many reasons, have y sought suitable means toenable them toprint, under their exclusive supervision, theirfaretickets from time to time, when they are issued and sold 5' and asit is necessary to keep a systematicrecord of the tickets issued andsold, various methods have been devised for the purpose of renderingthis system both simple and capable of preventing a fraudulent issue andsale.

Various objections exist relating to the means r `heretofore employedfor the purposes above set forth, and to removethese objections andprovide means which may be used with greater advantage is the purpose ofmy invention,

which consists in certain novel features relating to the means employedfor that purpose,

j and hereinafter particularly set forth.

In the drawing, A represents a table or frame, suitable for the purposeof supporting the mechanism hereinafter described. A is aframe,fattached to the table, and also capable of supporting certainparts of the mechanism. B is a cylindrical bed-plate or die-holder onthe "shaft C, which `has suitable bearings in the `frame A. Thisdie-holder is keyed to its shaft so as to be capable of alaterally-sliding movement thereon. Dovetail grooves are sunkenacrosslthe peripheryf the `die-holder to receive the dies, and D D areremovable dies arranged in the said grooves. Instead, however, ofemploying removable dies, the dies may be cut or cast in the peripheryof the part B, which, instead of being arranged to be rotated in avertical plane, may be rotated in a horizontal plane, and in eithercase' the dies may be arranged either in the periphery or in the face ofthe part B 5 but I deem it preferable to make the dies removable,`and toarrange them and the die-holder in the manner shown. I also deem itpreferable, for the purpose of economizing space, to make the peripheryof the die-holder sufficiently wide to receive two or more dies in thesame groove. By this means a great number of dies may be i arranged in adie-holder having a `comparatively small diameter, and the width of theperiphery will only be increased by the length, or by the sum of thelengths, of'- the die` or dies thus arranged; but two or moredie-holders arranged on the `same shaft will accomplish this result.` Itis fdr the purpose of arranging all the dies below the press, when morethan one row is employed, that I have made .ihedieholder capable of alateral adjustment, the dieholder being more readily adjusted thanthepress and its attachments but when the dies are arranged in only onerow, no adjustment will be required for the purpose referred to. E is alever, the 'rear endof which is pivoted tothe table A. F is a pin,rigidly attached to the lever E, and extending through a longitudinalslot in the table. G is a sliding bar or rod,

rigidly attached to the pin F and suitably supported. H is an arm,rigidly attached to the rod or bar G, and engaging a groove intlie hubof the die-holder. By moving the free end of the lever E, the die-holderwill be moved laterally on its shaft, and the extent of its movement maybe determined by arranginglthe lever in the slotted plate I, which isnotched or, otherwise graduated, so that the lateral movement of thedie-holder may be measured; or a graduated table may be arranged on thetable A for that purpose. J is a beveled gear-wheel, rigidly attached tothe shaft C. K is a shaft having suitable bearings, and `L is a beveledgear-wheel rigidly attached thereto, and e gaging the wheel J. M is acrank on the sh K, and by turning thecrank M the die-ho is rotated ineither direction. N" is a r disk, the periphery of which `is notched. O`is a small lever or catch, pivoted at one end to the crank M,"andextending across the'edge of thev disk N so as to engage the notchestherein. P is a handle on the horizontal arm of the crank M, and capableof being turned thereon. a, Fig. 5, is a notch in the handle P, in whichnotch one end of the lever O rests. Q, Fig. 5, is a spring, exerting aforce on the handle P, and Ymoving it in such a direction that the leverO will be pressed into the notches oi' the disk N when the crank M isoperated, unless a contrary force is exerted on the handle bytheoperator. When the lever 0 rests in any of the notches of the disk N,the die-holder will be thereby locked in a corresponding` position, butmay be readily unlocked by turning the handle P in the proper direction.The notches of the disk N may be marked. to designate a correspondingdie, so that any die may be thus moved with certainty to a givenposition; but when a large number of dies are employed, and especiallywhen they are ar ranged in more than one row, I deem it preferable toemploy other means for this purpose, and to use the disk'N and the catchor lever O simply as a means of locking the die-rotating mechanismduring the operation ot' the press. It is a graduated disk, which isrigidly attached to the shaft T, having suitable bearings, and providedwith the gear-wheel U, engaging the wheel J, the wheels J and U being ofthe same diameter, so that the disk R will make a revolution'with eachrevolution of the die-holder. W is an index-hand or pointer. Thegraduated face of the disk R is marked in such a manner that the index Wwill indicate when any die is arranged in a proper position withrelation to the press. For example, supposing the ticket-agent desiresto print a ticket for a passenger goingto Utica, the word Utica isarranged on the disk R in such a position that it will be either belowor opposite the index W when the proper die for printing that ticket isin a proper position with regard to the press. The agent, therefore,moves the crank M until the index W designates the word Utica, and thelever or catch O will then engage one of the notches of the disk N, andretain the die in that position while the press is operated. When two ormore rows of dies are employed, the disk R may be graduated accordingly,and the index WV may be rendered adjustable by being connected with themeans employed for the purpose of moving the die-holder laterally on itsshaft. Supposing, for example, that the proper die for printing a ticketto New York is arranged in a different row from that in which the properdie for printing a ticket to Utica is arranged, the disk It is providedwith a graduated circle corresponding to the row in' 'which' the diecorresponding to New York is arranged, and the index W is made longenough to reach .this circle when the proper adjustment is made, whichis accomplished as follows: The index W is attached to the slide B',which is heldy to Athe table A by means of suitable lugs. C' is a lever,pivoted at one end to the table A, and passing freely through a .slot intheslide B'. D' is a pin attached vto the rod or bar Gr, and passingthrough aslot in the table A into the lever C'. By. this means, the sameoperation which adjusts the row in which the die corresponding to NewYork is arranged will carry.. the index W to a graduated circlecorresponding to that row, and that row may be ascertained by examiningthe disk R, and kthe proper adjustment made, it' necessary. E' is thepress, arranged over the die B. F' is a cross bar of the frame A'. G' isa head-block on the stati' H' of the press, and this head-block issupported on the springs b b, which have sufficient force to keep thepress and its attachments above the dies, and to move the mechanismoperating in connection with the press, and hereinafter described. lThestaff l' passes freely through the bar F', and is attached to thepress-frame I'. J' is a lever or handle, by means of which the press ismoved downward against the dies. I make no claim tothe means employed torender the press operative; but I have here briefly described itsconstruction and operation in order that the operation of certain otherparts operating in connection with it, and hereinafter described, maybemore readily understood. The press E is rigidly attached to its frameI', and is slotted or cut out to receive a consecutivenumbering device,K', the disks of which are loosely supported on a rod,'L', rigidlyattached to the frame I'. The dies of the consecutive-numbering deviceare arranged to extend a little way below the lower face of the pressE'. M' is a frame loosely mounted on the rod L', and N' is a pawlpivoted to one end of the frame M', and engaging a ratchet on theunits-disk of the consecutive-numbering device, and each disk has acorresponding pawl. O' is an arm pivoted to the bar F', and to the frameM' at a point to the rear of the rod L'. As the press moves down theforward end of the frame M' is tilted downward, and the pawls N' rideover their ratchets; but as soon as the press is released the properpawl engages its ratchet, and the consecutive-numbering device is set tostamp a number consecutive to that which was stamped when the press wasmoved down. Any consecutivenumbering device which is capable of beingoperated in connection with the press, in the manner described, may beemployed for the purpose set forth. P' is a ticket-holder arranged tothe rear of the press, and p p are tickets arranged therein. The postsofthe `ticket-holder are rabbeted to receive the tickets and thepresser-block Q', and to prevent them from being moved, exceptvertically.A The forward posts are, however, cut away to release thebottom ticket when it is pushed forward. R' is a horizontal tray, fromwhich the posts of the ticket-holder project. S' is a slide retained onthe tray R' lby means of suitable lugs, and made of such a thickness asto push forward the tickets one by one. 'I' is a feedway, by means ofwhich the tickets are con- "latter is pivoted to the ticket holder.

ductedto the press and to the dies, and U is an apron which receives thetickets afterr they have been operated upon. The feedway is open belowthe press, so that the tickets may be printed or stamped, but the endsof the tickets move in grooved ways during their passage from theticket-holder to the apron U'. V' isan arm pivoted to the rear end ofthe frame M', and to the bell-crank W', which A" is an arm pivoted tothe rear end of the bellcrank W' and to the lever B", the latter ofwhich is pivoted to a suitable support. C" is an arm pivoted to thelever B" and to the lever D", the latter being pivoted to the table A.The lever D" is pivoted to the slide S',

' and is slotted, as shown, so that the slide may move in a straightline during the operation of the lever.` E" is a spring drawing theouter end of the lever B" forward. i

i It will be observed that the parts above described are arrangedtogether in such a manfner that the slide S' will be drawn rearward andfrom beneath the tickets when the press moves downward.l rEhe presser Q'then presses the tickets down, and the slide S will press forwardthebottom ticket, when the press is released, owing to the action of thesprings b b and of the spring E". In this way the tickets are fed to thedies, one after the other,

`printed or stamped, and delivered upon the apron U', it beingunderstood that the moyement of the slide S is suiiicient to accomplishthis result, and that its movement is limited at the proper time. c is apin to limit the forward movement of the slide S. The dies are i i made,preferably, to print or stamp upon the tickets all the matter that maybe required thereon; and it will be perceived that the lower face of thetickets receives the impression from the dies, Aand that their upperface receives the impression from the consecutivenumbering device, itbeing understood that the latter is arranged over the ticket-dies.

In order that the use of ink, which is objectionable on some accounts,may be avoided,

I make the body of the tickets of any suitable color, and provide either011e or both faces of the tickets with a thin enamel or veneer of v tpaper, or other suitable material, of a different color; and, when themere pressure of the dies is depended upon for the purpose of `markingthe tickets, l make the dies sharp enough to cut or break this enamel,and the characters stampedV upon the tickets will then Nbe made plain byreason of the color exhiby ited by the exposure of the body of thetickets about the edges of the characters stamped thereon;` but, forsome purposes, the simple operation of stamping the tickets, without theemployment either of ink or of tickets prepared in the manner described,will besuffi` cient.

When the employment of ink is desirable, I

`provide the machine with removable and adjustable hiking-rollers,constructed and arranged as follows: F" I?" are inking-rollers arrangedover the dies, and a short way behind the press. These rollers havebearings in arms rigidly attached to the rod G", which has a bearing atone end in the support H, and at the other in the spring I", which iscapable of being carried Afromthe rod G" by a lateral movement. J" is anarm or lever, rigidly attached to the rod G", and resting on a springexerting a force which holds the rollers above the dies, which` force isovercome by the contact ofthe rear end of the lever J against the tableA. By pressing the forward end of the lever J downward, the rollers arethrown against the dies; and, in order to determine when the proper dieis beneath the rollers, the crank M is turned until the lever O sinksinto a notch one or more spaces `from the notch which locks the same diebeneath the press,`

according to the distance of the rollers from the press. The crank- M isthen turned back and forth a short wa f until the die is sufficientlyinked, a-nd the die is thenarranged under` the press in the mannerdescribed.

The rod G" and its attachments may be removed by pressing the spring I"away from the rod; and the latter may be replaced by moving the springin the same manner, arranging the rod in a proper position, and thenreleasing the spring. y

In order to register the `tickets stamped or pressed, I arrange a reel,K", on aframe attached to the frame I', and extending forward of thepress. L" is-a register-blank wound on the reel K", and passing belowthe press and between the rollers M" N", which are supported on a frameattached to the frame I', and eX- tending to the rear of the latter. Inorderto rotate the rollers M" N" so that the registerblank will beproperly fed to the press, I pivot a rack or notched pawl, O, to theframe M', and arrange a pinion, P", on the shaft of the roller M", sothat the pinionwill be engaged by the rack.

ward movement of the press by means of the spring s. Q" is a stop, whichrides `over the teeth of the pinion P" during the` upward movement ofthe press, and prevents the movement of the pinion when the press` movesy, downward, Vat which time `the rack rides over the pinion. In thismanner the register-blank is fed to the press so as `to receive al newimpression each time the press descends. Inscrder. to mark theregister-blank, I extendthe ticket-die longitudinally, sothaticharacters may be cut on the extended partand impressed y upon theregister-blank; and,fas the registerblank is much thinner than theticket-blanks, the register-die should be higher than the upper face ofthe ticket-die.

In order to consecutiv ly number both register-blank and the ticketsbythe same `-operation, I extend the ticket-blank beyondgone end oi' theticket-die, and leave `a corresponding space on the die-blocklbetweenthe regis-` ter-die and the ticket-dic. I the-narran ge the'.lhe teeth of the rack O" are ini clined, as shown, and they are heldto their engagement with the pinion during the upi register-blank overthat part of the ticket-blank which lies above the blank space on thedieblock. By this means, the ticket-blanks and the register-blank areimpressed and consecutively numbered at the same time, the impression ofthe consecutive-numbering device being made upon the ticket through theregisterblank. That part of the die-block which serves as a ticket-diemay have any suitable words or characters cut thereonfor example,Chicago to Utica.77 That part of the die-block which serves as aregister-die may have any suitable words or characters made thereon,which will indicate Vupon the register-blank the fact that a ticket lblank has received an impression from the ticket die on the same block,and any other information relating to that ticket which may bedesirable-for example, Utica, 3.40, indicating that a ticket has beenissued for Utica, and that the fare paid was three dollars and fortycents; and, when the register-blank is also consecutively numbered, itwill also indicate the number of tickets sold. In this manner theregister-blank becomes a record, by means of which the issue of eachticket may be reported, together with other items which may be includedwith advantage in a report.

By arranging the reel and the feeding-rollers on a frame attached to thepress, no strain is made upon the register-blank, either by reason ofthe movement of the press or by the rotation of the dies. The tension ofthe registerblank is rendered uniform by means of a friction-sprin g, d.

Instead of making the register-die and the ticket-die in one'block, asdescribed, they may' be made in separate blocks, and instead of lappingthe register-blank over the ticket-blank it may be arranged at one endof the latter, and a separate consecutive-numhering device employed tonumber it, the chief object being to stamp the register-blank and theticketblank simultaneously, and to number each ticket at the same timethe same ticket is printed.

The die-holder. of the machine at each station is furnished withdies-suitable for that Y cleaned, and they are adjustable, so that thedlies may be inked either separately or not at a l.

It will be perceived, from the foregoing description that the ticketsmay be either stamped or printed, and that in stamping them eitherordinary ticket-blanks or prepared cards may be employed. It will alsobe perceived that no printing-ribbons are employed, and that 'is pushedforward upon the apron U.

a consecutive-11umbering device may be either employed or not. It willalso be obvious that only a part of the matter required upon the ticketsneed be printed or stamped at the time of their sale, the remaining partof the matter being printed in the usual manner, if that method isdeemed most desirable.

rlhe ticket-agent at each station, if provided with one of my improvedmachines, will be .able to furnish the tickets as they are needed, andto send his report to the general agent as soon as the sales for eachday are completed, or as soon as each term expires in Which he isrequired to make his report, the report consisting of th at part of theregister-blank which has been operated upon. rlhe company is thus savedthe eXpense heretofore required in order to furnish printed tickets insuitable quantities, and the labor of each agent is greatly diminished.Frauds upon the road are also checked, whether attempted by agents or byothers.

It will also be obvious, from the foregoing description, that themachine may be employed with advantage in preparing tickets to be usedfor various purposes. Several of the part-s shown above the table maybeconveniently arranged below it.

When the various parts of the machine are constructed and arrangedtogether in the manner described, they co-operate in the followingmanner: A considerable number of ticketblanks are iirst arranged in theticket-holder P', and the press-lever J is then operated until theticket-feeding` mechanism, which is thus actuated, pushes the blanks,one by one, along the way 'll' tothe press. If a passenger now calls fora ticket, the agent inspects the disk It, and, if the index WV indicatesa station corresponding to the ticket called for, the press is againoperated, and the'blank below it receives an impression, and isconverted into a ticket ready for delivery to the passenger, and as soonas the press-lever is released this ticket The same stroke of the presswhich stamped the ticket also stampedl the register blank, and broughtthe consecutive-numbei-ing device into contact with each blank, and therelease of the press-lever and the consequent upward moveyment of thepress carried the register-blank forward one step, and set theconsecutive-numbering device to print a consecutive number. Ifduplicates of the ticket thus prepared are required at the same time,the operation above described is repeated as often as may be-necessary,and the tickets thus furnished will be duplicates of each other in allrespects, excepting that they will be consecutively numbered. Each onewill also beregistered.

If ink is employed for the purposes set forth, the crank M is releasedand turned until the die below the press is brought below theinking-rollers, and the position of this die with respect to theserollers may be ascertained by turning the crank until the catch or leverO sinks into a notch in the disk N one or morel `to impress the blanks.

spaces removed from the notch in which it `first rested, according tothe iixed and known distance of the inking-rollers from the press. Thelever J" is then pushed downward until the inking-rollers are broughtinto contact with the said die, and the crank M is then moved back andforth until the die is sufficiently inked. The lever J is then released,the die is returned to its original position, and the press is operatedin the manner already described.

When a ticket for a different station is called for, the crank M isreleased and turned until the corresponding characters on the disk R areindicated by the index W. The handle of the crank M is then let go of,and the catch or lever O falls into a notch in the disk N, and thediemoving mechanism is thus locked. The press may then be operated inthe manner described, and with the same result. When two or more rows ofdies are arranged in the die-holder, the position of the die requiredwith relation to the press may also be ascertained by means of the indexW and the disk R. If the die required is not in a row beneath the press,then the characters representing this -die and on the disk R will not bein the graduated circle covered by the index W as the said disk isrotated. When this occurs, the die-holder must be moved laterally untilthe proper row of dies is arranged beneath the press, and this operationis performed by moving the lever E for that purpose in the manneralready described. The same operation which moves the die-holderlaterally also moves the index `W' laterally, for the reason that theseparts are connected in the manner described, and when the said index isover a graduated circle corresponding to the row in which the requireddie is arranged, then this row is beneath the press, and the die maythen be arranged, in the manner described, in a position lt is notessential, however, that the indexW should be laterally adjustable forthis purpose, for the space-lines on the disk R may be continuedradially from the index to or across all the graduated circles on thesaid disk, as shown, and they will then perform, in connection with afixed index or pointer, all the functions performed by alaterally-adjustable index, it being understood that the eye of theoperator will be thus guided from the index to any character, eitheradjacent thereto or lying in the same radial line therewith. l i

It will now be clearly perceived that ticketblanks may be either stampedor printed and registered, and consecutively numbered, for the purposesset forth, either in duplicate or promiscuously, from time to time, asthey may be ycalled for, and by means of the same tmachine, withoutother manipulation than may be required for the purpose of setting thevarious parts of the machine in motion after they have been constructedand arranged together in the manner described. The machine is compact,is simple in its operation, and, so long as it is supplied with arequisite number of blanks, it is always in readiness for the purposesfor which it is intended. When thc dies are once arranged in thedie-holder, they need not be either reconstructed or removed untileither a change in the names ot' the stations or in the rules andregulations of the road relating to the tickets may require suchreconstruction or removal. l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim2as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for printing or stamping tickets with various inscriptions,having a rotary die holder, in combination withaplaten, and withticket-feedin g mechanism actuated by the press, substantially as setforth.

2. A machine for printing or stamping tickets with various inscriptions,and havingv a rotary die-holder, in combination with the disk N, andwith mechanism for setting the" die-holder, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

3. The combination of the fixed and notched disk N, the loosecrank-handle P, spring Q, and crank M, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

4. A machine for printing or stamping tickets with various inscriptions,and having a rotary die-holder, in combination with a graduated disk andan index-hand or pointer, substantially as and for the purposesspeciiied.` 5. A machine for printing or stamping tickets with variousinscriptions, and having a rotary die-holder, in combination with theinking-rollers F F, arranged substantiallyas4 described, and havingbearings in a removable and adjustable frame restingon a spring, whichsupports the said rollers above the dies'and admits of their contacttherewith, substan tially as and for the purposes specied.

6. A machine for printing or stamping tickets with various inscriptions,and provided with a laterallyadjustable rotary die-holder,

substantially as and for the purposes .speen ned.

7. A machine for printing or stamping tickets with various inscriptions,and for registerin g the same, and provided with the tiltingframe M',having the yielding rack O, operat-w ing in connection with the pinionP, and with the stop or pawl Q, substantially as described,V

